PALMPOD

Content warning: graphic violence!

The halls of the Gutter complex were arranged like the intestines of some giant body, a holy shape. The constant winding almost made Viscera sick, if she was still capable of feeling sick. One. Two. Three. Four. White walls painted red. Lasers shot. Soulguts absorbed. Wounds healed. More cultists ran out of the facility's varied halls and rooms, attempted to stop Viscera— and died in short order. One of them shot her in the leg, it burned, but it was easier to push through the pain when she knew it was only temporary.
The wound was gone soon after her attacker was reduced to a bubbling, bloody mess. She had to escape, and none of them could get in her way. Gunfire and screams announced her coming and going as she gled through the halls like a bloody eidolon. She hadn't seen so much as a window in this entire building, where was the exit? Was there even a door?
She kept running, turning corner after corner, only slowing to the sound of footsteps and growling behind her. She spun towards her pursuer— coming face to face with a twisted thing that was very much unlike the cultists. It vaguely resembled the shape of a human, but its torso was cut off at the abdomen, allowing its thick intestines to fall to the ground. These it used as legs, which made a horrid thuck sound with each step. Its thin arms ended in long, clawed hands. As it approached, it growled from a wide, sharp-toothed mouth that sat in the center of its skull, which lacked anything resembling eyes.
Viscera shot the thing without hesitation. No risks. Another growl emanated from around the corner, accompanied by the thuck thuck sound of the thing coming closer. She shot it, too, as soon as it appeared. Then another. And another— soon there was a great cacophony of growls and thucks as a hoard of the creatures stumbled towards Viscera. One rushed her, making clumsy strikes at her with its claws. She quickly grappled it, snapped its arm backward— and impaled the thing on its own hand.
The dying creature's pained screeching did nothing to dissuade its comrades. The things kept coming, Viscera took a step back as more rushed her. She was distracted with one, firing two gut-shots into its chest— as another raked her back. She grabbed it by the neck and tossed into the hoard— causing their frontline to stumble for a moment as she turned to run. She couldn't fight an army.
Rapid thucks resounded off the walls as the things took chase, screeching and moaning as they stumbled over one another in their pursuit. Viscera fired occasional shots behind her to slow them down, until the winding hall finally stopped at a large doorway. Without hesitation, she pressed the button to its side and jumped into the room before the door slid closed— crushing the neck of an unfortunate creature that had nearly caught up to her.
It wouldn't be long until they managed to get it open, there had to be a way out. Viscera took stock of her situation, she now found herself in a large room with a wall made of flesh. In its center was a wide hole, lined with hundreds of bloody hands. The hands opened and closed in sync with some unseen heartbeat, though some broke out of sync and gestured for Viscera to come closer. She didn't.
In the center of the room was a small platform, holding a white ellipsoid pod. It was stained with bloody handprints, especially around the various handholds that dotted the pod's surface. A door along its side was left open, revealing five seats and a lever inside. Viscera couldn't see any other means of escape here, not even a vent. The door behind her shuddered as the hoard banged against it.
She only had one choice.